Fairytale
by Starkiller
Summary: Bra is dead. Everyone knows it was suicide, but was it? Goten puts his relationship with Paresu on hold to discover the truth. GxB, TxP
1. Prologue

Dear Diary,

Disclaimer ~ *sighs* would I really be writing fanfiction if I owned dbz? well, yeah, probably, but that's beside the point!

I want to thank the author that inspired me to continue writing this....but I can't remeber her name! And it's driving me crazy! :( Oh well, thanks author who's name I can't remember! ^_~

~*~

_Dear Diary,_

_These voices have been haunting me for two weeks now. They remind me of starving dogs. They have such an unquenchable thirst for my pain and suffering. That is their only reason for living inside of me. They make me doubt everything I see and hear._

_I fear everyone.   
My friends, my family, even my own father!_

_But they won't break me. They won't! But if I refuse them, they'll hurt me. And the pain, I can't stand it. They know everything about me._

_Maybe it's just me. Am I going crazy? Have I created these voices? But why! I don't want any of this! I don't want them! They tell me to do things; things I've never even dreamt of doing in my entire life. I'd never want any of my friends hurt!_

_But what if I snap? What if my mind goes blank and I start obeying their orders. What if I hurt moma? Or Pan, or Marron?_

_Oh Kami, Goten, I wish I could tell you all that's in my heart. I wish you could help me with what's happening. I've never feared anything as much as I fear myself right now.   
I want it all to end._

~ Bura Vegeta Briefs ~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The wind whistled through the branches of the large Oak tree, blowing the dry, dead leaves into the grey November sky above. The dull, lifeless scenery suited that day. A day he would never forget. No one would. 

~*~

The look on Vegeta's face was indescribable. Bulma was still in shock. She clung to mom as if she were clinging to the last shreds of her sanity. 

Trunks was no better than his father. I glanced at him, standing by my side. He may have looked calm, and collected, but the heavy bags under his eyes spoke for themselves. I offered nothing but silent comfort. That was all he would accept. He was the son of Vegeta after all.

My niece, Son Pan, was close to him, offering the same silent comfort as I did. But as I watched, I noticed their fingers slowly entwine. A small smile graced my lips. It was as if they were speaking in some foreign language that only they understood.

Slowly I found my mind drifting off to another place; or more specifically, the night before _it_ happened...

I had dreamt of her then.

The sun's golden light surrounded her as she stood at the top of the cliff, gazing out across the shimmering cerulean ocean. Funny, really. She was just a kid, but, when she looked at me all I could see was pure agony. She had looked so old and frail. Her eyes had lost that burning vitality I had always admired. She was such a wonderful combination of Vegeta's headstrong, stubbornness and Bulma's brains and beauty. 

She was destined for a life of riches and glory. She would be the envy of all the girls on the planet and all the guys would come running after her, mouths open and drooling. Heck! If I were nearer her age, I would have fallen for her. 

Heh, Trunks would have killed me though.

But now that I think about it, now that I remember that look in her eyes, she _had_ grown up. Kami, she'd grown up and everyone had noticed but me.

That dream, _Kami-sama_ that dream! The way she turned and stared at me, like a lost puppy without a hope or friend in the world. Did she want me to help her? Was that it? Is that what my dream had been asking me? Maybe she did ask, and I didn't hear her cause I was too busy to notice!

My chibi B-chanor my not so chibi B-chan

Kami, Bra! Why did you do it?! You could've asked for help! You could have asked me for help. You were always like a little sister to me, B-chan.

Why did you have to leave us? Why'd you leave me?

I took one last glance around. Everyone, apart from Trunks, Pan and Marron had left. 

The famous five has been broken, I reminisced. Now we're just plain old Trunks, Pan, Goten and Marron. When Goku had left us, our families had lost contact for what could have been for good. Bra had been the one to bring us back together. She was the tie that bound us, I guess. I wonder what will happen now? Will we just fall apart? I hate the thought of losing Trunks and Marron; friends I've had forever

Pan will always be with me. We're more like brother and sister, than uncle and niece. But I have the feeling that she'll never be the same again. She's lost her best friend after all. I know she'll blame herself for Bra's death, just like I and everybody else will. But hopefully, she'll get through this with Marron. And, of course, there's always Trunks.

As I watch them slip into a comforting embrace, I wonder for a moment if this new love they now share for one another is enough to keep us together. They're both very stubborn people. If they don't admit it without Bra I suppose we'll just drift apart.

Who could ever have thought that one life could shatter so many?

~*~

The four friends stood and gazed at the grave surrounded by flowers. It didn't matter how colourful it looked. It was impossible to make the sight any less painful to look upon. 

_Bura Briefs_

_Beloved daughter, sister,_

_and friend to all who met her_

_May she rest in peace_

Son Goten would never forget that day. No one would.

  
~*~

Okay, okay, before you all flame me saying Bra would never commit suicide, just wait until you read the rest. It'll become clear soon enoughI hope. What? I'm only the author ya know. You expect me to know what I'm writing about.  
Jeice: You're such a baka -__-  
Starkiller: Who asked you! anyways, I'd really. _Really_ appreciate any feedback! Thank-u! ^__^


	2. My Empty World of Dreams

A/N: The next few chapters go back in time a few days before Bra's death

A/N: The next few chapters go back in time a few days before Bra's death. They'll kinda explain what happened to her (plus, they'll be more t/p for u fans ^^)

Anyways, thanks for the kind reviewsthough I think the reviewers are all crazy. I wrote this crap in ten mins! ^^;

**~*~*~*~**

It was so cold here in this vast empty dreamland where darkness ruled. She watched her breath rise into the chilled night air. The young teenager shivered in her thin, silk night dress (only the best for Bra Briefs, of course). Another shiver travelled up her spine. She hated this place. It was so lifeless. But she couldn't run away from it. Or rather, she couldn't run away from _him_. For this was all a dream, and she could never escape what dwelled in the depths of her once so innocent mind.

Suddenly, she felt his icy, bony fingers snake around her wrist.

"Let me go!" Bra squealed, trying to twist out of his hold. His clawed, tight grip was burning her pale skin. The black cloaked demon's touch should have hurt her, yet Bra almost had this feeling of comfort every time he came to her in her dreams. The temptation was growing stronger every night

_How did this happen to me?_ She thought as the tears cascaded down her soft cheeks.   


No. She refused to let him keep her here. She refused to give up. After all, she was the princess of all Saiyans. _Besides, what would daddy think if I gave up? _With that last thought, Bra jerked out of his grasp. She smiled at him triumphantly, but all she could make out from behind folds of his hood were two icy blue eyes staring down at her with a look of contempt. Then slowly, and rather unsurely, he extended his arm out towards her. 

  
Bra shivered, but not from the cold. It was he who made her shudder; disgusted by his very appearance. His skin was crusted and flaking. The flesh on his hands and fingers was near to rotting away completely. When he touched her, all she could feel were the hard, white tips of icy bone.

For the last 4 weeks he had come to Bra in her sleep. He would speak of his undying love and affection for her, and every night she reared back in repulsion. 

She was trying his patience.

"What will you be when they've all grown up and left you?! You'll be alone! Unloved! Why would you wish for that?!" He spat out angrily. "Listen to me Hikari, I can make your life Heaven or I can make it Hell!" 

Bra glared at him before turning her icy gaze to the ground. Jareth' never stayed angry with her for long, however. After all, how could he possibly stay mad at his little blue eyed angel'? Jareth shook his head slightly then chuckled softly.

He always surprised Bra when he laughed. There was no doubt that he was evil, but when he spoke, his voice was so soft and soothing. It was not the cruel, mocking laughter like that of Frieza or Cell's. He almost sounded human.

Once again he extended his hand out towards her. And this time she took it

Images flew passed her as they walked through the never-ending darkness together; hand in hand. 

The images were mostly of her friends and family. Her father, the renowned prince of all Saiyans. Her beautiful mother, the founder of Capsule Corporation. Her handsome brother, now the President of Capsule Corp. Her best friend, Son Pan, surrounded by her loving family. They were all heroes in their own right.

"Look at them all. Watch, princess. Watch and tell me who they are."

Bra frowned. Didn't he know already? She was certain that in his own mysterious way, Jareth knew every single detail about her friends and family. Then what did he mean by that question?

The black cloaked demon gazed down at his distressed princess. "Tell me, my Hikari, what do they have in common?" 

Bra shuddered at the nickname he had given her. The nickname itself was sweet but for him to be calling her that—

It was just _wrong!_

Then suddenly Bra realised what Jareth had meant as she gazed at all the proud Z Warriors standing together.  


Son Goku, the greatest fighter in the entire universe. 

Her mother, the most intelligent woman in the world. 

Son Gohan and Goten. The two powerful sons of Goku and ChiChi. 

Piccolo, the Super Namek, not to mention Gohan's ex-sensei and gallant saviour on more than one occasion. 

Her father, the second most powerful creature in the universe and probably the only person who could stand up to Goku in a fight.

What did they all have in common? They were all strong. From Pan to Chaozu, they were all heroes.   
She was not. And it was something which had plagued her forever. How could he know her every weakness! It wasn't fair! 

Bra fell to her knees, hands covering her face in an attempt to block out these pictures.

"What do you want from me?" She choked on her words as the hard lump in her throat grew. Jareth was hesitant for a moment, but after a few minutes of haunting silence in a land of darkness, he spoke.

"They don't deserve you."

Bra gazed up at the creature of darkness before her. "Oh! And I suppose _you_ do!!" She snapped and glared up at him. Jareth's two pale, pupil-less eyes softened and his clawed, rotten hand brushed her pale cheek in one soothing stroke. 

"Hikari, you are so beautiful, did you know that?" Bra choked back on another sob, and clambered to her feet.

"I won't stay you." She growled, shaking her head. But even as she spoke, her words sounded dangerously shallow. "I won't!!"

The cloaked shadow-man paused, a cruel smile playing across his thin grey lips. Searching her mind, he had finally found what was keeping her from breaking.

"He does not love you, Bra."

Bra's head snapped up. "Wh-what?" she stammered.  


"Watch" With a wave of his hand, an image appeared infront of her eyes. It was a picture of a couple she knew all too well. A young, beautiful woman with flowing auburn hair, had her arms wrapped around the son of the most powerful man in the universe. Bra watched with wide eyes as her best friend's _uncle_, the man who she had undoubtedly fallen in love with, turned towards the girl and kissed her. The object of her affection would not, _could _not be him not ever.

Fate could be cruel.

Bra began shaking her head in denial. She simply refused to believe her eyes. "no. I don't care I won't care!!" She screamed before turning on her heal and running into the endless darkness.  


Jareth smiled contentedly. 

Bra had been wrong. She _was _strong like the others. But like the others, she too had a weakness. And he had found it.

The game had been won. 

And soon he would claim his prize.

**~*~**

A/N: Like it? Hate it? Wanna flame me for coming up with such a crappy story? Be my guest! ^__^  
I'll post the next chapter soon. It's already written, I just need to edit it & stuff. 

& before I forget, I'll be changing the title to **"Within Me"** so if u actually wanna read the next chap. that's what it's called now.

Ja ne!

~Starkiller signing out!


	3. Closing In On Me

Starkiller: See

Disclaimer~ I don't own Dragonball/Z/GT or the song 'Crawling' by Linkin Park

Starkiller: See! See! *looks proud* I told u I'd get the next chapt. out soon! Anyways, thanks again for the kind reviews. The fic's rating has now changed to **NC-17** cos of a _very_ mild lemon at the end. ^^  
Jeice: Hentai =P  
Starkiller: You're the hentai around here!  
Jeice: I am no-…well, yeah, yer right. **^__^  
**Starkiller: **-_-;  
  
**

~* Within Me *~

Bra woke with a sudden start. Her turquoise hair clung to her face which was covered in glistening beads of sweat. 

Another night, another nightmare where _he_ had appeared.

"Bra!! Breakfast is ready!!" Bulma cried from the kitchen. Sure enough, the smells of a unique 'Briefs breakfast' were wafting upstairs and into her room.

****

~*~

"Hey, sleepy head!" Pan greeted her blue-haired friend as she traipsed into the room and sat down for breakfast. Bra simply nodded her greetings, before reaching for a glass of orange juice.

"Where's daddy?" She asked sluggishly, before taking a delicate bite of toast. She wasn't sure why, but that morning she had completely lost her appetite. And what was worse, she had one hell of a splitting headache.

Bulma groaned and rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. "Where else?! Training in that damn Gravity room!" She paused to sit down at the breakfast table before continuing. "I mean, honestly! That man never eats with his family! It's as if he thinks he's superior to us! Well I'll show him…" Bulma continued to grumble on about her husband.   
  
Pan chuckled as she recognised the sly glint in her eye. She could almost see the wheels in Bulma's head turning. What a strange kind of love the 'prince' and Bra's mother shared.

Two more figures suddenly appeared at the breakfast table, eagerly awaiting their food. Bulma rolled her eyes as she dragged herself to her feet once more, muttering something about Saiyans and their dammed appetites. 

Pan snorted as the two demi-saiyans sat across from her. "You two are worse than Bra."

Trunks frowned at her. "Hey, I was working late last night." He yawned and stretched as if to prove his point. "Besides, we haven't slept in _that _late. Did you miss me or something, Panny?" 

He grinned slyly at the young teen. Pan felt her face flush bright red. 

"Yeah, right." She stammered defensively, and tried in vain to hide her blush. Trunks' grin widened.

Bulma tutted as she placed two plates piled high with food infront of Goten and Trunks. "Trunks, don't embarrass Pan-chan like that."

Goten's eyes had begun to water at the sight of food. He had been helping Trunks out with his work the entire night, and hadn't had one thing to eat! Now, Bulma wasn't the greatest cook in the world, but food was food!

The spiky haired demi-saiyan was about to take a large mouthful when a speck of blue over the mountain of food caught his eye.

"B-chan? Aren't you gonna eat anything?" Goten asked, his black eyes sparkling curiously.

Bra's head snapped up at the sound of Goten's voice. "Huh? Oh…erm, I'm not that hungry." 

Trunks chuckled evilly. "She's probably on _another_ slim fast diet."

Pan groaned and rolled her eyes. "Bra, why do you bother going on those pathetic dieting programs?! You're as skinny as a rake!" 

"Yeah," Goten agreed whilst shoving large mouthfuls of food into his mouth. "if yuh weally wanted t' keep in shape, phyou could twain wif us!" 

Trunks looked aghast. "What?!!"

Bulma frowned as she watched her oddly silent daughter. She hadn't taken in anything anyone had said to her all morning, save Goten. But Bulma already knew of Bra's _little_ crush on him, so that was no big deal. 

Bulma continued to study her daughter carefully in the morning light. The shadows under Bra's eyes were as dark as night. Her long turquoise hair was messy and dishevelled. The white's of her usually sparkling sapphire eyes were slightly bloodshot. She hadn't even bothered to look nice for Goten, which was usually a must for Bra.

Suddenly, Bra got to her feet and headed for the door.

However, Bulma hadn't been the only one to notice Bra's peculiar behaviour lately.

"Bra? Are you ok?" Pan called from her seat as she watched her friend move silently towards the door.

Bra turned and smiled reassuringly and her best friend. "Don't worry, Panny. I'm just going for a shower. Then we'll go shopping, k?"  
  
Pan thought for a moment then nodded happily, satisfied that her friend was well. 

Bra glanced sadly at Goten for a second longer, before turning towards the door and heading into the large hallway.

"Bra, honey! Wait up." Bulma stood before her young princess and smiled softly. "Now Bra, are you sure you're ok? You look like you haven't slept in days." Bulma brushed Bra's hair back and pressed her hand against her forehead. "Hmm, you don't have a temperature."

Bra smiled gently, and pulled back. "Mom, I'm ok. I just…had a bad dream, that's all."

Bulma frowned, her forehead creased with worry. "Are you sure?"

Bra paused for a second. Was she sure? Of course not! But how could she explain what was happening to her? How could she possibly tell her parents that she had been dreaming of demon princes falling in love with her, stretching her sanity and dragging her into a world of suffocating darkness?! 

That would sound crazy! 

…but it _was_ crazy.

And on top of that, she had the world's biggest teenage crush on her best friend's uncle, or, as her father would call him, 'Kakarott's second lazy-ass brat'.

She had to keep these feelings to herself. She head to deal with it alone…the only problem was that Bra wasn't certain what this 'It' was. This 'It' that lurked inside her mind, tearing open the wounds she hadn't even realised were there. Although she didn't want to admit it, she was terrified.

"Honey? Are you still in there?" 

Bra was pulled out of her little reverie when Bulma reached over and squeezed her shoulder gently. Her eyes were full of concern.

"Mom, I'm fine. You worry way too much." Bra smirked her 'Vegeta' like smirk to reassure her mother. Bulma grinned back down at her and kissed her forehead.

"Okay, hurry up and shower then. You can't keep Pan-chan waiting all day." Bulma back as she headed towards the kitchen.

****

~*~*~*~

Bra smiled as she stepped into the shower and let the refreshing warm water course down her body. 

Her mother was such a strong woman in spirits. Possibly the only one in the world who would _dare_ marry her father. Maybe that's why Vegeta had fallen in love with her. 

Bra smiled at the thought of her father in a tux on he and her mother's wedding day as she stepped out of the shower and wrapping a towel around her. 

Bra smiled, feeling a little better after her shower. But it was only a matter of seconds before her latest dream from last night flashed before her eyes. Bra's headache began pulsing painfully as she remembered what had been said.

Bra suddenly felt jealous of her mother.

Growling, she clenched her fists until her sharp nails pierced her soft flesh. Why couldn't she be strong like them! She didn't want to be another bimbo with nothing but her looks to carry her though life. Beauty is only skin deep after all. It's all an illusion. And it doesn't last forever…

Crimson blood slid down her arms as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. A sharp pain shot through her head, and the mirror infront seemed to waver like shimmering ocean waves. Bra held her head in her hands as the pain and shrieking began building up inside her head. 

__

Crawling in my skin

These wounds / they will not heal

Fear is how I fall

Confusing what is real

She tried to scream but her voice was gone. Bra panicked and began banging on the bathroom door.

__

There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface

Consuming / confusing

This lack of self control I fear is never ending

Controlling / I can't seem…

…To find myself again

My walls are closing in

The mirror shattered all around her, but as the shards of glass flew through the air, they increased in size. Bra spun around, head in her hands as she tried to comprehend the insanity of her new world; a world of mocking mirrors.

[Without a sense of confidence / I'm convinced

there's just too much pressure to take]

Tears began cascading down her cheeks as she clawed at the mirrors, smearing her own blood against the transparent glass.

But why was she bleeding so much? It had just been a scratch after all—

__

I've felt this way before

So insecure!  


Bra's eyes widened as she looked down at her wrists. A thin red tear on the underside of each wrist was beginning to widen by itself. Bra choked back on a sob as she watched the trickle of blood stream from her now slashed wrists.

__

It has to be a dream! It has to! Bra screamed inside her head as she sank to her knees.

"Bra…"  


Crawling in my skin!

These wounds / they will not heal

Fear is how I fall

Confusing what is real

Bra gazed up to see the tall, dark-haired demi-saiyan standing above her. The light shining through the glass danced in shimmering patterns upon his bare chest. 

If she had been able to speak, she still wouldn't have known what to say. With a smirk pasted on his face, Goten fell to his knees, straddling her hips, and quickly relieved her of the towel.

__

Discomfort, endlessly has pulled itself upon me

Distracting / reacting

Against my will I stand beside my own reflection

It's haunting how I can't seem…

…To find myself again

My walls are closing in…

Goten lowered his lips to hers, stealing a passionate kiss which left her panting for breath. Bra frowned. There was something wrong with that kiss. Nevertheless, she did not resist when he grabbed her around the waist, pressing his cold lips to her bare skin.

[Without a sense of confidence / I'm convinced

there's just too much pressure to take]  


Goten was panting heavily as he rubbed against her. She could feel his need…but she could not feel his heat. As a matter of fact, there was no heat radiating from his muscular body.

There was definitely something wrong.

But still, she did not resist…  


__

I've felt this way before

So insecure!

Without being able to hold back any longer, Bra wrapped her arms around him and kissed him with all the desire and emotion she had kept locked deep inside her for so long. A low growl sounded from Goten's chest as his tongue wrestled with hers, and their passion grew, trapped in a world of mirrors.

"I told you Bra," Goten panted, "I told you…that I could make your life Heaven….or Hell."

Bra's eyes suddenly widened at his words.  


Crawling in my skin!

These wounds / they will not heal

Fear is how I fall

Confusing what is real

Goten sneered down at Bra as he trailed one cold finger down her bare chest, before plunging into her. Bra winced from the pain, and his cold, heartless, black eyed gaze. Suddenly, she realised that it was too late to turn back.  


Crawling in my skin!

These wounds / they will not heal

Fear is how I fall

Confusing, Confusing what is real

Bra wanted to beg him to stop, but her mind continued to convince her that it truly was Goten… even though, deep inside, she knew it was not. His freezing cold body continued to rub against her own, groaning hungrily as he fought his way to his climax.   


__

There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface  
  
Consuming…  
  
Confusing what is real!  


Bra winced, digging her nails deep in his back as her own body betrayed her, and she tightened around him. Tears, mixed with blood, streamed down her face as she stared up at their blue mirrored reflection on the ceiling above.   


__

This lack of self control I fear is never ending  
  
Controlling…  
  
Confusing what is real!  
  


Goten, or rather Jareth, looked down on her; eyes sparkling triumphantly.

__

"How dare you." Bra whispered fiercely as her sleepy gaze found his.

"This is a game, Hikari. Our game." He whispered back as his icy cold fingers stroked her cheek. "Can you honestly say that you hate me? I know you so well Hikari, how can you possibly hate me so much, when I love you?"

Bra couldn't understand any of this. First the searing headache and the noise. Then the mirror world. And then…Goten. But it wasn't him…she hadn't made love to Goten. Just another illusion that Jareth had created. He had been playing with her mind, and the worst part was Bra couldn't say that she had hated it!

Jareth put his finger to her lips, and closed her eyelids. "No more thinking. Not now. Just sleep, Hikari. Sleep."

****

~*~

Ok, ok. I know this fic is like, totally messed up ^^; I just wanted to try something new…in other words, something a little darker than my happy-sappy pokémon fics ^__^


	4. Small Talk

Starkiller: Gomen everyone but this chapter is like, really weak-

Disclaimer~ I don't own Dragon Ball/Z/GT etc etc etc....

_Starkiller: Gomen everyone but this chapter is like, really weak-  
Jeice: -mainly cos she's a borin', lazy-ass writer who spends most of er time on er bloody hair rather than er wor-  
Starkiller: *clamps her hand over Jeice's mouth* Ehhh-heheheOn with the story!! ^___^;_

**~* ****Within Me**** *~**

"Bra! Come on! Please, wake up!"

Bra's eyes suddenly flashed open as she felt two strong hands on her shoulders, gently shaking her. "Oniisan?" Bra asked sluggishly as Trunks grinned down at her, accompanied by four other panicked faces. Bra blushed as noticed one of the faces belonged to Goten.

"You okay?" Trunks asked as he helped her up into a sitting position on the cold bathroom floor. 

Bra frowned. "What happened?"

Goten glanced at the sink smeared with blood. "Looks like you slipped and hit your head off the sink, B-chan." With a grim expression he leaned over to turn the tap on. Within seconds the crimson blood had disappeared down the drain. Goten frowned as something caught his eye. The once seamless mirror before him now had a crack running straight down the middle. _  
When did that happen?_

Vegeta and Bulma immediately began fussing over Bra the second she was on her feet. "Oh Bra, dear, are you okay? Let me see your head! I hope there's not any permanent damage." Bulma fretted.

Bra smiled and shook her head as she leaned against Pan and Trunks for support. "I'm okay. Just a little headache, that's all."

Vegeta growled and stepped between mother and daughter. "Woman, stop fussing over her! I think a _Saiyan _can handle a little trip!!"

Bulma turned on her husband, wagging a finger infront of his face. "Oh no you don't! Don't start giving me all of that macho Saiyan crap! My little girl was just knocked unconscious by a SINK!!" Bulma shrieked, thus starting another B/V war.

  
Trunks rolled his eyes and motioned to Goten and Pan. "Take her through to her room, k? I'm gonna find something for her headache."  


Bra shook her head and smiled softly. Trunks could either be the most annoying jerk you could ever meet, or the sweetest guy in the world. But she supposed all brothers were like that.

And then his words sunk in. _W-waitt-take me?_ Bra gulped as she noticed Goten advancing towards her.

  
"Alright princess, your bed awaits." Grinning like an idiot, Goten scooped Bra up into his arms and carried her across the hall to her bedroom. Pan paused for a moment, and glanced back at Trunks who was searching for something in the bathroom cabinet. She giggled childishly as Trunks stood straight up and banged his head off the upper shelf. 

Pan smirked. "You pathetic baka." 

Trunks glared back at her. "Alright, _brat_, help me then!"

"I am not a brat." Pan snapped as she began searching in the cabinet beside him. Suddenly she spotted a small bottle labelled Aspirin'.

"Aha! Got it!" They cried out in unison and reached for the bottle, his hand covering Pan's as she held the small object in her hand. The two friends gazed at their hands, then at each other, eyes locked in confusion and something else neither could describe

Pan could feel her face heat up and she knew she was blushing as she stared into those two perfect blue eyes. Not that it really mattered, however, for Trunks' face was positively glowing! Then slowly, but surely, the two demi-saiyans closed the space between them. Their breathing was ragged; lips mere inches apart, and soon that space would be no longeruntil-

  
"TRUNKS! GO CHECK ON YOUR SISTER! I DO NOT WANT HER LEFT ALONE WITH KAKAROTT'S IDIOTIC BRAT!!" Vegeta yelled from somewhere downstairs. "I swear that boy was an experiment in artificial imbecility'" Vegeta grumbled as his voice trailed off into the distance.  


Trunks immediately let go of Pan's hand, blushing furiously. "Uhh, heh, good thing Otousan didn't walk in on us there or he might've gotten the wrong idea!" Trunks threw a hand behind his head and began laughing nervously.

"AND TRUNKS! STOP FOOLING AROUND WITH THE OTHER BRAT'S DAUGHTER!!"

Trunks sweatdropped and quickly grabbed the bottle of Aspirin. "I give up." He sighed, shaking his head. Nothing _ever_ got passed his father. "Are you coming Panny?"

Pan followed obediently, but her mind continued to wander. _Was Trunks about to kiss me? ...but what did he mean by the wrong idea'? _Pan sighed and shook her head hopelessly._ Give it up, Panny, you're dreaming.  
_

**~*~*~*~  
**

Goten laid Bra carefully down on her soft bed, before sitting beside her and inspecting her injury.

_Hmmfunny, it doesn't look that bad. But there sure was a lot of blood back there._ He thought quietly. Goten then smiled and smoothed Bra's hair back. "You must have had quite a fall, B-chan." He said, smiling softly.

Bra blushed as his fingers brushed against her cheek, just like they had in her dream'. Or what she supposed was a dream. She didn't want to think about that now anyway. She just wanted to feel Goten's warm touch on her soft, pale cheek. She forgot about the fact that she was only dressed in a thin towel, and that her hair was a mess. She didn't care anymore. She just loved his touch and intoxicating scent. _So perfect_

"I love you B-chan."

Bra's eyes flew open as she heard him speak _those_ words.

Goten smiled and grabbed her hand. "You're you're like..." He paused, "...you're like the little sis-"

"The little sister you never had, right?" Bra intervened. She couldn't help but let out a discontented sigh. Every time he said that it got her hopes up.

Goten grinned stupidly. "Have I said that before?"

Bra locked her sparkling cerulean eyes with his and smiled. "Goten, I I love you too." The second part of that sentence sounded dead to her ears. She couldn't say it with meaning because she was scared that if she did, Goten would finally understand how deep her love for him was growing.

Bra suddenly realised that her eyes were still locked with his. But she could stare into those two dark pools forever if need be.

  
"You know Bra, you have the prettiest eyes." Goten said with a wink. "Bet all the guys are after you at school."

Bra forced a smile. She hated when he spoke to her like that. "Uh, not really." 

Goten noticed her blush and smiled to himself. She looked rather cute with her cheeks all flushed. "I have to admit, you're gonna be a stunner when you grow up."

Bra's heart sank to her feet. She was grown up! Nearing 17, she wasn't going to change much after thatwell, before the wrinkles and liver-spots appear anyways. 

Goten suddenly realised his mistake, and continued. "Not that you aren't now." He said, giving her one of his classic Son smiles. Goten knew he wasn't the smartest person in the world, but he wasn't blind when it came to people's feelings. And he had known about what he assumed was Bra's_ little _crush for as long as she had! But he would never embarrass her by saying so. She was very special to him, and he meant it when he said she was like his little sister. Just like Pan was Trunks' pretend little sister; or so he thought...

Besides, he'd hate to lose Bra's friendship. He enjoyed their little talks now and then. She was the free-spirited one; the kind of friend you'd go to with your problems.

  
"So, uhm, how are you and Paris doing?" Bra stuttered. That was her most hated question, but she always wanted to know how Goten's relationships were doing. Despite the fact that she hated seeing him with anyone else, Bra was glad to know he was happy._   
I just wish you could be happy single!_

  
"Huh, who? Oh Paris? Yeah, she's perfect." Goten hadn't meant to say perfect. He knew it would hurt Bra's feelings, but to Goten Paris was perfect. He loved her cute little laugh, and outlandish ways. Bra couldn't help pouting as she watched him wander off into a little daydream. 

Goten's head suddenly snapped up, and Bra could see that he was blushing. "Actually, uhh" He trailed off, laughing nervously. "I'm going to ask her, uhh, to ...well" However, he was interupted by the sound of Trunks' and Pan's laughter as they entered Bra's room.

Bra's eyes were wide with fright_. Oh please, Kami. Please tell me he wasn't going to say that. Kami, anything but that_

**~*~*~*~*~**

A/N: _See, what did I tell ya. Weak. Gomen minna! Ahh well, I'll try and make the next part a little more exciting.   
Ja Ne! ^.~  
~Starkiller xxx_


	5. Goten's Dream, Bra's Living Nightmare

Goten's Dream, Bra's Living Nightmare

A/N: Sorry this took so long to post but I was kind of busy with my other fics, hehe **^^;** Oh, and a BIG thank-u to all the ppl who have reviewed my fic!! ^_^  
Jeice: That's right. Boost her bloody ego up even further **~_~**

****

~ Within Me ~  


The lavender haired demi-saiyan peered into his sisters' room with a concerned expression. Marron and Pan had begged and begged him to keep an eye over their friend for the last couple of days. Apart from the fact that the beautiful, blue eyed Marron could make Trunks do pretty much anything, he was quite willing to take on the task of watching over his little sister. Since Bra's accident in the bathroom earlier in the week, she had been acting more than a little depressive.

Even after Vegeta had given in to his wife's begging and offered to take Bra out shopping, the cerulean haired teen had turned him down. What had happened to his bright eyed, bratty little sis?

If only she'd talk to him. If only she'd talk to anyone.

__

Wait, Goten! Yeah, he always cheers her up. I'll get him over tomorrow. Maybe he_ can get her outta bed_. Trunks smiled at his genius and moved away from her door. _If anyone can cheer her up, it's Goten!  
_

* * *  


Bra hugged her pillow tighter and curled up into a little ball on her bed.

__

Why did I have to ask? She thought miserably. _Maybe if I hadn't asked how he and his big haired, country slut of his were doing, I wouldn't know now._

More hot tears cascaded down her soft cheeks as she buried her face into her pillows. Bra knew she was being way too harsh on Paris, but she couldn't stop herself from feeling insanely jealous of her. After all, Paris was marrying the love of Bra's life. 

Bra closed her puffy red eyes and immediately began picturing Goten in her mind: his bright onyx, innocent eyes, his spiky black hair, the way he could always lighten the mood with his charming 'Son' smile…

Bra could feel her heart breaking. Why couldn't she just let him go like all her many other crushes?!That was a stupid question though. She already knew the answer to why she couldn't shake these feelings for him. _Paris, you better love him as much as he loves you. Maybe then….then I can forgive you…_

__

~Why should you forgive her, Hikari?~ His gravelly, harsh voice invaded her mind. But Bra did not have the strength to fight him off. ~_Let go, Hikari. Let go of him. He is not worthy of you; not worthy of a princess.~_

"I can't help it." She whimpered. She knew how cowardly she was sounding, but with every word Jareth spoke, he tore a new hole in her mind; weakening her. It was almost as if he were sucking away her soul.

__

~Never forgive him for breaking your heart. He should have known about your feelings for him, Hikari. It's all his fault. Forget he exists.~

Bra shook her head and chewed her lip nervously. "Maybe if I tell Goten now, he'll leave her. Maybe if I beg him to love me as much as I love him, he'll hold me, and return my feelin-"

__

~He should have dropped at your feet and begged for your love! You should be the one sneering down at him. Why do you look up to him when he is a 3rd class nothing!~ Jareth hissed angrily, his voice echoing in her mind. 

However, his words had only made Bra angry and stubborn. "No. He is not." Her brow furrowed in anger and frustration as Jareth continued to plague her mind.

__

~He will leave you Bra. Then you'll be left to me. And I will _make you my queen.~ _

Slowly, his voice slithered back to wherever it had crawled into her mind from, until it had disappeared completely. Her devotion to the boy was beginning to annoy him. Maybe he'd pay Goten a visit.

Bra sat up in bed, partly relived that he had left her mind. Not that it mattered really, for even with Jareth gone from her mind, there was always the other haunting voices which hounded her day and night. They hung in the back of her mind, whispering away to her. Funny though, she could never understand what they were saying, yet still they always made her fearful and uncertain. All Bra knew was she wanted them out. And most of all, she wanted Jareth gone from her life. 

However, she couldn't help her curiosity. What had these fear-hungry voices have to do with Jareth?

Bra sat up and reached for the drawer in her beside table. Inside it lay her precious diary. With delicate fingers, Bra opened the beginning pages of the small red leather bound book, and read. Once upon a time her life had been so simple. Shopping, dating, hanging out with her friends. Back then it had been easy to deal with her crush on Goten, because back then that was all it was: a crush.

Bra sighed and flicked the next page open. A small square photo floated silently onto her lap. It was a picture of the entire Z Gang at the beach. She smiled. Another fond memory. Everyone had been there, including the reclusive Piccolo and her father! It had been such a perfect day…well, maybe not for Trunks and Goten. When Vegeta woke up to find himself buried up to his neck in sand, the two culprits had returned with more than a bad case of sunburn.

Bra tried to smile, but the picture only reminded her of lost happy times. She wished she could go back there; wished that she could simply slip into the picture and live there forever, leaving this Hell behind.

Berating herself for being such a baby, Bra flicked to a new page in her diary. Picking up her pen, she began to write:  
  
_Dear Diary…_

  
* * *

  
The stars were shining brightly in the pitch black sky above. The glowing moon shone through his curtains, casting shimmering patterns upon his bed.

Goten sat up in bed, raising a hand to his pounding head. He had not been woken by a nightmare since he'd been five years old. Not that this could really be classified as a nightmare. It was more like watching one of those psychological thrillers on television, only he was the star.

Walking to the window, Goten gazed in wonder up at the stars. A strong feeling pulsed through his veins that this _nightmare_ of his had some hidden meaning…

He shivered. Too realistic. That was what had scared him. 

****

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The entire dream itself had been drenched in black and white. He was running through a thick grey forest, black eyes flitting from tree to tree. He knew he was calling for someone for he could feel his mouth moving in haste. But there was no sound. He couldn't hear the sound of the twigs snapping and leaves crunching beneath his feet. He couldn't even hear the name of the person he was searching for! His mind was a blank.

The only thing Goten could hear was the eerie, deathly cold whispers of a gentle breeze as it brushed passed his cool skin

He had been trying so hard to hear something, _anything_, that he missed the sharp tree branch jutting out of the bushes. Yelping in surprise as the branch tore into his arm, his eyes flinched away from the black shape advancing out of the tall trees towards him. Goten paused to inspect the bloody red scratch on his upper right arm. He sighed and berated himself for being such a baby before getting to his feet. 

What he saw made him choke in surprise on the very air he breathed. A tall shadowed creature stood mere inches away from his body. It could have been Human, but Goten wasn't quite sure. He, presuming it was a he, wore a long black hooded cloak which covered nearly every inch of his body except his hands.

And by the look of this guys' hands, he'd been decomposing in his wormy grave for years. Goten, wanting nothing to do with this 'Phantom', tried to take a step back, only to find that his feet refused to move. It was as if he had been glued to ground!

The cloaked phantom closed in on Goten; bending down by his ear so that the demi-saiyan caught a whiff of his foul smelling breath. Goten screwed his face up and held his breath as he waited for the 'Phantom' to speak.

His wrinkled grey lips parted slowly before he spoke in a soft gravelly whisper, "Stay away."

Goten pulled back with a puzzeled expression and raised his head, trying to get a look at the strangers' eyes. "Stay away from what?" He asked curiously. But he received no answer, and instead his black and white dreamland was drenched in darkness.

When he came to, Goten could smell the salty sea air as it ruffled his spiky, jet black hair. Opening his eyes, he realised that he was standing on the summit of a huge, grassy cliff top over looking the sea. Below him, the wind whipped up the salty spray of the waves which violently charged towards the bottom of the cliff-face. 

Goten grinned. This was more like it. Much more peaceful than that creepy forest earlier. Although he knew this was a dream, he wanted to make it last for a while. After all, it had been quite a long time since his last trip to the beach.

Suddenly, a flash of blue on his far left caught his eye. Goten turned with a curious expression. A young teenage girl stood on the cliff top adjacent to his, blue hair dancing around her. Her long shimmering dress, which matched her hair and eyes perfectly, blew gracefully in the wind. She looked like some prized, priceless ornament as she gazed forlorn out to sea. Untouchable, unapproachable…but who did she remind him of?

Then it hit him.

__

No way! It can't be! Goten's brow furrowed intensely as he studied her. The look on her face, it just didn't suit her. This couldn't be his chibi B-chan. When did she lose all her cute, chubby little features? When did she get so tall? And…when the Hell did she develop breasts?!

Goten turned away and shook his head, trying to hide his blush. He felt a pang in his chest as a strange, alien feeling enveloped him. It simply couldn't be her! After all Bra was only 15 years old…or was it 16? Or possibly 17? 

Goten's mouth dropped open in shock. When did she grow up? Surely he would have noticed…

Turning back to Bra, Goten found her staring straight at him. She looked so helpless. Her once beautiful blue eyes were now dull and sad. It was as if they were begging him to do something. She looked so lost and forsaken on her little cliff drenched in the sun's golden light. 

She also looked very beautiful, Goten thought absentmindedly.

Shaking that last thought off, Goten found his voice and called out to her. "Hold on B-chan, I'll be right ov-" Goten frowned as he looked down at his feet. Once again they refused to budge. "Huh…Wh-what's…going on?" Growling, Goten bent down and began tugging on his leg. "Move damnit! Move!!"

Goten stood up to speak to Bra, grumbling about confusing, pointless dreams and how he was wasting his time here when he could be awake and eating. His jaw dropped as he saw her. She was sitting on the ground now, knees tucked up tightly against her chest and behind her stood the black cloaked stranger from his earlier dream; only now he could see his eyes. Two, piercing pupil-less slits glared at him menacingly. Goten noticed that one of the 'Phantom's' hand was resting protectively on Bra's shoulder.

__

How dare he touch her! Goten snarled, clenching his fists and preparing to transform into Super Saiyan.

Nothing happened.

The power was there, but he could not contact it. Something was preventing him from transforming. Possibly the same something that was preventing him from moving his legs. Goten snapped his head up to glare fiercely at the cloaked Phantom. 

"What have you done?!" He cried furiously. 

The Phantom simply shook a finger at him, and smirked in a truly corrupt, evil way. "Foolish boy. You're in _my_ world now. You have no power here. You may as well run along home. I have no quarrel with you. I'll just take what belongs to me and leave." The stranger's smirk then turned into a dangerous glare. "Stop me, and I'll make sure you neverwake up."

Goten's entire body turned numb. Surely he couldn't be talking about…

Bra suddenly began to shimmer in sparkling white light and to his horror, her body was turning transparent before his very eyes. Soon there was only a faint outline of her silvery body, before that, too, disappeared into thin air.

"What the?…Bra wait! Come back!" Goten shouted, trying with all his might to pull free from whatever power the Phantom had over him. But it was no use. Bra had already disappeared. Where, he wasn't sure. The only thing he _was _sure of was that he wanted to wake up from this dream…or _whatever _it was.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Goten leaned his elbows on the windowsill as he continued to gaze up at the dark, twinkling sky above. 

First thing in the morning, he was going to check on Bra.

  
* * *

Sorry again! I'll try my best to get the next chapter out soon. Please R+R & tell me what u think of this chapt. Please tell me it was better than the last!!


	6. Clear November Nights

****

A/N: Ok, ok, I know I should've updated this ages ago, hehe, but uh… well…you see… **^^;**  
**Jeice:** The only reason she's continued this crap is cos I threatened t' play Cher movies all night long. So u c'n send yer thanks to the one & only, *poses* Wwwwooooooaaaahhhhh!!!!!! JEICE!!! **^_~** Thank-u, thank-u! I know u luv me!  
**Starkiller:** **~.~** You're ruining the mood of my fic!!  


~**Within Me**~

That very night, two shadows crept over the land to the Son's house; each with their own purpose. 

The first stopped and hovered beside young Son Goten's window and peered inside. The shadow gave a small sigh of relief when it saw the still form of the young man. He was asleep.

Bra took a deep breath and flattened herself against the outside wall beside the window. She had snuck out of her room wearing only a thin cotton night-dress and her trainers. It seemed she was not aware of the crisp cold November air. 

Bra stared forlorn at the twinkling stars above and let her arms fall limp against her sides. _…he has a right to know… I guess. _Bra turned her gaze to the small, crumpled up letter in her left hand. A corner of her mind was screaming at her that this was an insane, selfish idea, and she would only end up losing his friendship. 

But Jareth's cold words had stung her. Bra closed her now dull blue eyes and let a cold tear role down her cheek.

~ _He will leave you Bra. Then you'll be left to me. ~_

She wanted to prove him wrong. Goten would never leave her. Even if he did not return her feelings he would never leave her alone in the dark. He would always be her friend, no matter what.

Bra took a deep breath.

"No matter …what." She whispered into the night, her hot breath slowly rising into the icy cold air. Bra nodded to herself and turned back to Goten's window. Slowly and carefully she slid the small white envelope under the window. She watched as it fell to the floor on the other side and disappeared from view. Refusing to wait another second, she tore her eyes away from Goten's peaceful, sleeping form and flew back into the darkness.

The second shadowy figure had watched all the while from the roof of the Son's house. His eyes gleamed white in the darkness. "Tonight's the night." He chuckled in a sing-song voice. In a flash, his pitch black cloak had melted into his body, and his bony arms, covered in rotten black flesh, began to grow new skin. His once thin, stretched grey face was now covered by healthy pink flesh. 

He turned his now bright black eyes back to the window where Bra had hovered by only seconds ago. Jareth gazed at his new reflection in Goten's window and smiled wickedly. 

"Dear boy, you had best say goodbye to your little _B-chan_." He hissed with a sinister grin before disappearing into the night to begin his hunt.

*~*~*

It was only when Bra got to her own window at Capsule Corp. did she hear the silent call riding on the wind towards her. And foolishly, she had followed it. She could not explain why. She felt guilty enough for sneaking out already, but she had only meant to deliver her letter to Goten and after that return home. But somehow, for some unexplained curious reason, she had decided to follow this voice, all the way to the Eastern White Cliffs overlooking the ocean. 

She had to admit the White Cliffs were beautiful in the shimmering glow of the blue moon. Bra stood at the very edge of a cliff and gazed down into the deep, black sea, her white cotton night-dress rustling in the gentle breeze. 

Her throat suddenly tightened and she shivered slightly, but not because of the great height. There would be no problem if she fell for Bra already knew how to fly…but as she watched the black mass of water slosh against the base of the cliff, she began to feel rather unnerved. To her, the sea looked like a massive, black beast, silent, waiting for its chance to erupt. 

Bra smiled and shook her head. With all that was going on lately she was becoming far too paranoid. Nevertheless, she backed up a little; right into a pair of icy cold hands. Bra screamed and spun out of the stranger's grasp. 

"Who the Hell do you think you are?!" Bra yelled, panting heavily. She was ready for giving him a little piece of her mind, or rather her fist. 

All of a sudden, the moonlight caught the stranger's onyx eyes and Bra gasped out loud. 

"Goten!" 

The figure stood motionless before her. Bra squinted her eyes to get a better look at him. It was definitely Goten. She could tell from his spiky black hair and eyes…but he was clad in a black pair of baggy pants, a tank-top and a pair of heavy army boots. To top his unique look off, he wore a long, black, leather coat which flapped menacingly in the wind which had recently picked up from the West.

Bra frowned. "Goten-san? Are you oka-" Her voice died away as she realised what had happened. He had read her letter. 

Bra turned away from him and gazed down at the swaying black beast below her. "Goten-san, I'm sorry. I never thought you would…I mean I never thought…" She trailed off at a loss for words.

Suddenly she heard laughter; _Goten's _laughter. But it wasn't his voice, or at least it didn't sound like him. It sounded too cruel and harsh to be Goten's.

Goten set his piercing black eyed gaze on hers and snorted. "No, of course not, Bra. You never think!" he chuckled, "Why think when you've got your hot little ass to carry you through life!" He grabbed her shoulders roughly and looked directly into a pair of shocked cerulean eyes. "Didn't you think I already knew?" He asked, his tone somewhat softer now. "What if Paris had read that note? She is everything to me, _everything_ Bura!" He let go of her shoulders and stood tall. 

Bra swallowed the hot lump in her throat as she looked up at him. She had never seen Goten so angry before. It scared her. His onyx eyes held an alien spark, one of which she had never seen on his gentle face. It simply didn't belong there.

Goten ran a hand through his now limp, jet-black hair. Dark bangs fell infront of his eyes as he turned to her again. "Why did you write me that letter Bra?" He asked quietly.  
Bra choked on a sob, but refused to look weak infront of him. She stood tall and looked him in the eye. "Because, I felt you had a right to know. I thought I could tell you anything…I thought our friendship could make it through anythi-"

"Friendship?!" Goten hollered then burst into a mad fit of laughter. "The only reason I pretend to be your friend is because you're Trunks' little sister. But do you know what I _really_ think of you? You're a spoiled, selfish little brat, Bura. Everyone knows it." Goten turned his back on her and began to walk away. "Why don't you do us all a favour and jump." He hissed behind him.

Tears spilled from Bra's blood-shot eyes. She ran after him and grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at her. Goten growled and swung his hard, balled fist at her face, knocking her to the very edge of the cliff. The sea roared below her. Waves violently crashed into the base of the cliff like hungry dogs waiting for their prey to be tossed to them. 

A cold silence ensued. Bra trembled all over with the shock and pain. Slowly she forced herself to sit up. Bra brought a shaky hand to her face and cautiously touched the tender area where Goten had hit her. The skin around her eye was red and swollen. She knew it was already beginning to bruise. 

Goten smirked as he watched her. Bra was still unaware of the danger she was in. A low rumble suddenly sounded from beneath her and the cliff edge jolted violently. Bra's body ached from Goten's recent assault and she could not summon the strength to move away. She looked up at Goten with pleading eyes and for a moment she saw his expression soften. 

Goten walked towards her and slowly extended his arm. The cliff edge gave another violent tremor and thin spidery cracks in the ground appeared. 

Bra edged towards Goten and extended her arm to his.

Goten shook his head and tutted. "This is taking far too long." To Bra's horror he directed his arm towards the ground and, creating a small black orb in his palm, he smiled at her. "Everybody has a dark side, Hikari. I know. I see it in their dreams."

Bra didn't even have time to scream before he had fired the glowing, black orb into the ground. Goten watched with an emotionless expression as the cliff edge broke apart and she fell. 

Goten frowned. He could still feel her presence. _She's not dead yet?_ Goten cautiously peered over the edge of the cliff, onyx eyes searching for his prey. 

Bra had managed to gather up all her energy just in time and was now hovering far below him. 

"Hmm, stubborn girl." Goten muttered, slightly amused.

Being Vegeta's daughter Bra had obviously inherited his stubborn streak and would not give in that easily. _I've come too far and I've fought too long. _Bra smirked. "If you think I'll give in now you're clearly mistaken!" She called up to him and, mustering the last of her strength, created a large, blue, glowing sphere in centre of her palm.

"Why don't you just except your destiny!" He yelled back at her but refused to wait for any answer. With a wave of his arm the black sea below charged towards the cliff then rushed into the air with the speed of a racing arrow. Goten laughed menacingly as the sea took the form of a giant hand and plucked Bra mercilessly from the air before plunging back into the icy cold waters below.

As the waters subsided and the sea calmed, an eerie silence coated the November night. Goten's limp black hair blew gently in the wind as he gazed into the depths of the coal-black sea below.

The games were over. 

Jareth smiled. He finally owned her.

~*~

Far away, on an ancient lookout, another pair of menacing onyx eyes flashed open; _menacing_, but not evil.

Piccolo snapped his head towards the East and furrowed his brow. It wasn't an astonishingly high power level, but it was definitely a powerful _something; _whatever that_ something_ may be. And in some peculiar way it felt familiar. It was almost as if he'd felt it before, maybe in a dream? He wasn't entirely sure. 

Piccolo moved out of his meditative position and frowned, annoyed with himself. _Maybe I'm just getting old_, he thought. He guessed it was simply his mind creating illusions, for Piccolo was still a fighter at heart and always longed for a good battle. But another part of him still felt uneasy about this mysterious feeling. 

The next day he expected to have forgotten all about the strange 'something' he had sensed, but when the tragic news of the Briefs missing daughter reached the lookout via Gohan, Piccolo grew curious…

****

~*~

A/N: I apologise for this chapter being so short. I've kind of gone off this fic a little, so the chapters will be few & far between.  
**Jeice:** thank kami f'r that! **^^**  
**Starkiller:** Quiet you!


	7. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

****

  
A/N: First of all, Thank-u for all the reviews!! Secondly, I really hate this chapter! Just a warning to ya, I don't think it turned out well** :(**  
**Jeice:** None of this fic has turned out well **:b**   
**Starkiller:** *slaps Jeice upside the head*  
**Jeice:** **X_x** I was only sayin' !!

****

~Within Me~  


The alarm's shrill ringing did not wake the sleeping Goten the next morning. When he finally awoke he realised he had slept in two hours late and that it was already 12:30

"Aw man! I've missed breakfast!" Goten groaned and fell back on his soft pillow. He ignored the sound of excited footsteps racing up the stairs, and closed his eyes.

"Pounce! Pounce!" cried an excited voice. It was the only warning he got before Pan landed square on his stomach.

"Ahh!! Panny!!" Goten wheezed and collapsed out of bed, severely winded. Pan stood before him, glaring angrily. 

"Uncle Goten! It's half past twelve! You missed breakfast, and if you don't hurry you're going to miss lunch t-" Pan suddenly realised she was talking to air. The second Goten's ears picked up on the 'L' word he had raced out of the room so fast he nearly forgot to open the door on his way out. Pan smirked and followed him downstairs. Neither noticed the small white envelope which had slipped behind the wastepaper basket beneath the window…  
  


Goten was already eating his weight in food and being none too polite about it either. Pan sat beside him and began munching on a piece of toast. All of a sudden Goten's dream came back to him and he turned towards Pan with a mouth full of rice. "Hey Panny, have you spoken to B-chan today?"

Pan shook her head. "Nope, but I'm planning on going round there later." 

Videl winked at her as she sat down at the table. "No wonder with a handsome boy like Trunks in the building."

Both Pan and Goten made a disgusted face. "Mom! Trunks is an old man!"

Goten nodded in agreement. "Yeh! Exactly…_hey!_" Goten glared at his niece. "We're not old!" Videl chuckled to herself as she stood to answer the telephone ringing in the hallway.

Pan sniggered. "Why'd you ask about Bra anyway? Got a crush on her?" Pan asked, elbowing Goten in the ribs. Goten rolled his eyes and ignored her, turning his thoughts towards the young, blue eyed beauty in his dream. Now that the dark, secretive night had passed, his mind was not as fuzzy. There was no point in flying all the way to Capsule Corp. to check on Bra when he could just as easily pick up the phone and-

"Pan. Bulma's on the phone." 

  
Both Pan and Goten picked up on the distressed tone in Videl's voice and gave each other a worried look. Pan walked towards her mother with a curious expression.

Videl took a deep breath. "Apparently Bra's gone missing. We think she may have run away. You haven't seen her have you?" Pan shook her head slowly and watched as her mother heaved a heavy sigh and walked into the corridor to continue her conversation with Bulma.

  
Goten sat still as stone at the kitchen table; fear and dread coiling itself around his heart like a venomous snake. In a flash, he'd shoved his plate aside and left the kitchen. 

All of a sudden, he'd lost his appetite.   


~*~*~*~

  
Three days after the disappearance of the Brief's daughter, FBI found a torn, cotton night-dress caught on the sharp, ragged rocks at the base of the Eastern White Cliffs …and a suicide note in her bedroom. No body was found.

A funeral was held two weeks after Bra's initial disappearance. Faces, old and new, arrived to mourn the young woman's mysterious death and comfort the Briefs. Or rather, Bulma. Vegeta completely refused to see anyone during the wake. Instead he hid himself inside the Gravity Room for the entire night. Not even Goku could rouse him from his sacred hiding place.

  
Bulma watched her husband train in the garden below her balcony. Her worn, pale face looked dead in the ghostly moonlight. It was as if she were wearing a mask entirely alien compared to that of her usual cheerful nature. 

Vegeta had refused to speak to anyone in the past few weeks. Bulma couldn't even remember the last time he had trained for such a period of time. It broke her heart. Her parents and son, Trunks, stayed by her side but she needed a different kind of comforting, the kind she could only receive from her husband. Only now it seemed Vegeta had left her too. Bulma could feel herself slipping. 

~*~*~*~

Bra glanced around, bewildered and confused by her new environment. She was surrounded by innumerable huge marble columns. A little farther on she could see there were large staircases and more exquisite pillars and terraces, all made out of the same sparkling white marble. 

One thing which caught her interest was the fact that none of these enormous marble pillars were supporting a roof. Above, Bra could see the faded pink and blue morning sky.

__

How peculiar, Bra whispered in her mind. Even though the sky was bright and fresh as morning, she could easily make out thousands of sparkling diamond shaped stars littering the skies. But the even stranger thing was, the stars appeared to be suspended just a little way above her head. They reminded her of the delicate, crystal, Christmas decorations she and her brother would hang on their tree, except these sparkling stars hung freely in the air without a thread.

Bra soon found herself reaching for one particularly bright star that seemed to be but a breath away. 

As she reached for the star, her hand was suddenly covered by another's. It was rough and callous, but at the same time warm and comforting against her cold skin. Bra turned her aqua eyes towards the stranger and gasped aloud.

"Oh!" Bra glared and blushed hotly. 

The older man smiled apologetically. "I am exceedingly sorry if I startled you." He spoke politely.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that. It's rude!" Bra snapped, irritated. But as she studied the stranger's appearance she began to realise that he felt strangely familiar.

  
The young man was dressed in royal attire and cloaked in a magnificent maroon cape, pinned together by an elaborate silver brooch which glinted in the morning's golden sunlight. His shoulder-length blonde hair fell across his eyes-  
_His eyes…_  
-which were as pale as the milky-white stars above. He smiled softly and pushed her long blue hair away from her eyes. 

"You seem troubled, my dear. Is there any way in which I can help?" He asked, staring deeply into her puzzeled eyes.

"How did I get here?" She asked, but the question sounded as if it were being directed more towards herself than the fair-haired, handsome stranger. "The last thing…I remember…" Bra trailed off in a whisper. Her vision went black as her memory returned. She could remember the stunning Eastern White Cliffs, then the fall into the hungry black sea and finally the enormous hand charging towards her and plucking her out of the sky. 

Bra spun towards the stranger, eyes wide with shock. "Is this Heaven?!" She asked in a sudden panic. 

The stranger's thin, pale lips curled back into a sinister smile as he took her hand. However, Bra seemed utterly oblivious to the cruelty behind his mask. "Of course not, my dear." He chuckled, leading her into the forest of marble columns. "Heaven isn't nearly as perfect."  


~*~*~*~  


The room was showered with tiny candles, their golden/red flames dancing in the warm glow of the fireplace. In the center of the modern, but elegant living room, stood a small coffee table, and upon it sat a bottle of very expensive champagne beside two tall crystal glasses and a little velvet box…  
  
Paresu clasped her hands and squealed with excitement at the romantic display before her. Goten blushed and began to fidget with the back of his collar, a nervous trait he had picked up from his father.

"Oh Goten, you're such a darling!" Paresu giggled and skipped over to the bottle of champagne.

Goten grinned goofily and timidly took his seat beside her on the comfy couch. Apparently she hadn't noticed the little velvet box yet. Goten swallowed thickly. He had hoped Paresu would notice it right away and in turn, save him from making a blunder in his marriage proposal speech. Knowing his faults all too well, Goten knew he would end up stuttering throughout the entire speech and ruin the romantic atmosphere.

He watched Paresu as she popped the cork on the champagne bottle and merrily poured them both a drink. She could made him feel so nervous and uncomfortable at times.

"This is so cute! I can't believe you went to so much trouble, Goten-kun!" She smiled sweetly and nuzzled his nose affectionately, something Goten had never quite grasped. It seemed a rather odd tradition to him.  
  
"You can be such a cutie-pie!" Paresu squeaked, then started rambling on about her long week and what had happened to her. Goten tried his best to concentrate on what she was saying but his own deafening thoughts and worries soon took over. He was about to ask the love of his life to marry him! The little velvet box, the very key to the next chapter in his life, sat in the glow of the fire on a little coffee table in living room of Trunks Briefs suave, polished apartment in Western City.   
And he was too afraid to touch it!

Goten groaned and cradled his aching head in his hands. Paresu raised an eyebrow in concern. 

"Goten, honey? Are you okay?" she asked, laying a heavily jewelled hand on his shoulder. Goten's head snapped up, suddenly realising where he was.   


He cleared his throat and smiled softly at his koi. "M-me? Uhh, well…I-I, hmm, actually…" he paused. The heat from the fire and the nervous butterflies fluttering around in his stomach were causing him to sweat buckets. Goten glanced at his hand and his ebony eyes widened in shock. The entire proposal, which he had written on his palm, had been washed away by his sweat. 

His head snapped back to Paresu again and he smiled nervously. "Actually I…I have a bad headache!" He announced triumphantly. 

Paresu gave him a sympathetic stare. "Aw, my poor baby. Why don't you go to the bathroom and check if Trunks has anything there to help with the pain?" She said, stroking his cheek affectionately. 

Goten grinned to himself. _Thank-you Dende!!_ With the speed of lightning, Goten made a grab for the little velvet box without Paresu even noticing, then headed towards the bathroom in Trunks' apartment. 

Trunks, after hearing Goten intended on proposing to Paresu, had given his long-time best friend the keys to his private apartment and a thumbs up for success. 

"Some success." Goten mumbled as he gazed into his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He splashed some cold water on his face then took out the little velvet box from his pocket. "I hate you." he hissed at the little box which sat innocently on the palm of his hand, staring up at him. He flicked the lid open and picked up the little silver band studded with glistening diamonds. 

__

What am I going to do? He thought, sorrowfully. With a sigh he turned back to the mirror, and gazed at his reflection blankly. _I wish you were here, B-chan. You always knew how to help me out…_

  
A sharp stab of pain pierced his heart. His beloved friend had died three weeks ago today and he wanted her back more than words could tell. The dream, or rather nightmare, constantly flooded his mind. The last three weeks had been like Hell. He almost felt _lost_ without her. How could he not have realised how important she had been to him? Now she was dead and he would never see her again.

__

Why do I feel so guilty?  
"Bra…" Goten hardly heard himself whisper her name. He simply continued to stare, blankly forward, utterly oblivious to the thick, ghostly mist slowly gathering on the mirror's sleek surface. "_Bra…_"

The little room suddenly began to grow mysteriously darker as the thick grey mist inside the mirror grew thick and wild. Dark clouds bubbled angrily as the mist took a violent turn and roared in furious frustration. Looking through the mirror was like looking outside a window at a terrifying, raging storm. But Goten was not phased. His dark brow furrowed as he kept his mind on Bra and his focus on the howling storm gathering behind the mirror. 

This felt right. Whatever this storm was, supernatural force, or magic…it felt right to him, as if it were all standard procedure. As the young demi-saiyan kept his lethal stare directed ahead, a brilliant white beam tore down the mirror, splitting it in half. 

"Let me past." Goten commanded in a soft whisper, his tone deadly serious. The storm suddenly screamed in a thousand flaming voices and surged forwards, bursting through the mirror's restricting seams. 

Finally, as if the last shred of reality inside him had fought and prevailed over the control of his body, Goten snapped out of his trance. He screamed in fright as he saw the hundreds of agonised faces trapped in the storm, screaming at him. The raging storm of many faces engulfed the little room, pulling and clawing viciously at the young demi-saiyan. And then in a sudden flash, as quickly as it had appeared, the storm was sucked back into the mirror without leaving a trace or whisper of what had just occurred. 

Goten, who had his arms wrapped protectively around his head, was panting heavily. After a couple of minutes, he began to relax once he was completely sure everything had settled down. He turned cautiously to look at the little mirror, his feet glued to the ground. 

Nothing.   
Nothing but a little rectangular mirror hanging on a bathroom wall. But then how could such a powerful force appear from behind such a defenceless, little household object. 

Goten shook his head in bewilderment. Was he really so nervous that he had created that awful nightmare? With another heavy sigh, Goten turned the cold tap on. After splashing some refreshing cool water on his burning face, the young demi-saiyan stretched and casually stood: his entire body froze. He wanted to scream in terror at what now faced him in the mirror, but his throat was so tight and dry he could barely breathe let alone cry for help.   
  
His new 'reflection', the black hooded phantom, gazed passively at the young demi-saiyan from inside the mirror. Goten could feel the creature's hidden eyes burn into his soul, reading all of his many thoughts and fears. All of a sudden, the black phantom turned his cloaked head upwards, realising a high-pitched shriek before whipping towards the demi-saiyan with demonic, gleaming white eyes.   
  
For a heart stopping second, Goten thought the terrifying phantom was about to step out of the mirror and into his world of reality. He staggered back, rubbing at his eyes furiously. His mind was in a turmoil. That creature was the one who kidnapped Bra, it simply _had_ to be! And now it was back to take him too. Goten growled and clenched his fists in fury. No one attacked his friends. _No one._

Cautiously, the young demi-Saiyan glanced upwards at the innocent little mirror hanging on the wall, ready to face the shadowed spectre again.

His mouth fell open in shock. There was no black cloaked phantom glaring back at him. Nor was there any raging storm, screaming for his soul. But there was something he recognised.

A long crack, running from top to bottom, now scarred the once polished, clear surface of the bathroom mirror.

Goten could only speak in a breathless whisper, "Déjà vu." 

~*~*~*~  


****

Starkiller: You'd have to remember the scene in chapter 4 (where everyone finds Bra unconscious in the bathroom) to understand the cracked mirror. Please tell me if there are any mistakes in this chapter!! I have flu and can't really…well.. see **^_^;** So I know I did a really crappy job of editing this chapter…but I'm ill dagnabbit! *curls up in Jeice's hair & goes to sleep*  
**Jeice: o_O;**


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